Folks,
The nation needs to move forward with a realistic honest budget that represent cutting costs where necessary, adding the proposed spending cuts to boost unemployment and funds for Peasant farmers, boost Arts and talents as creative Job opportunities, improve teachers remunerations and, create opportunities for school leavers employment in Government Offices, reduce deficit on debts according to the Reform Agenda and as is in the New Constitution.
Kenyans cannot afford the mounting politically created debts and taxpayers that benefit only the rich. The debt limit has reached the sky limit, yet the Shuttle diplomacy in careless illegal use of taxpayer money in continually on the go while the poor are dying from hunger and in the lack of basic needs. It would be a serious disaster when the poor keep paying taxes for the rich and in return save nothing, but in the event the rich politicians keep getting more and more corrupt, depleting public resources, while the middle class bear the burden of cutting the nation’s debt. Kenyans must beware in advance where there are cuts break, instead year in year out, the rich are busy doing public privatization and the money go to their private businesses and into foreign accounts……This is a wrong way to move forward after the Referendum……Things must be done differently to the benefit of the public or else, ICC Hague is the home for the corrupt Rich in order they can learn some manners and behave according to public mandate.
Debt is a real threat to the poor Kenyans and the vulnerable Africans as joblessness rates are rising, while they cannot afford basic domestic needs and high cost of living, and in one year or two from now, the poor will have sold everything else they have and they will be forced to a corner of no return, out of their community habitation into concentrations camp, by the rich as a result of corruption and impunity. This must not be allowed to happen. These signs of the times are clearly showing, as people are desperately unable to buy enough food for the family, access water or energy as they seem to have no means of income except wait for fate and handouts.
By letting the Budget loose, it is increasing debt multiplier to corruption and impunity that must be urgently stopped now, otherwise hope for the future will equally diminish as the rich unscrupulous politicians will have succeeded in their slow puncture death of the majority through poverty imposition prescriptions.
The Budget must therefore not be rushed before Public Mandate is fully agreeable through their elected Representatives in Parliament and according to the spirit of the New Constitutional Legal Requirement.
As you continue to read the attachments, you will see why there is need for ICC Hague to hold the two principles for questioning and interrogation concerning hot roomers’ taking its turns about Kenya Pipeline Company, the organized loss of Public utilities and facilities that are hurriedly going for grabs, for quick sale…….the Hotel etc., these and many others such like the Public Hotels that are now going for quick sale disposal or are earmarked for the Chinese and Indian grabbers, in the name of investments……!….connect the dots…….and take a closer look, who is going to benefit from these sales…….how were they compounded and quantified in the Budget which is about to be read…..??????
This is a fight between the rich and the poor……We Must Win This Fight People…..the world Must stand with us and Be On our side……..and these Corrupt politicians Must Be Punished for the pain of corruption and impunity they inflict on those they take oath to protect……..
Without mincing words, I charge that These two Principles (Kibaki and PM Raila) in the Coalition Government must be urgently stopped before they Auction Kenya through this sneaky Budget……
We Plead with Leaders of the World to Intervene in a special way and Help poor Kenyans from being robbed clean to the bones in broad day light……We also plead with the United Nations Security Council as well as the United nations Ban Ki-Moon to also step in urgently and intervene not to let the Budget Read as is, but this Budget be investigated, as it will be signing a death certificate for the poor and helpless Kenyans under “The Intellectual Property Thieving”……….
We cannot wait to have Kibaki and PM Raila to answer charges and clear their names from corruption and impunity at the ICC Hague against the poor and vulnerable, pushing the poor to extreme poverty through the Budget overtaxing, unrealistic, non-factual uncoordinated and unjustified Finance Budget statement……Notwithstanding the stage-managed dodging of the implementation of the New Constitution of the Federal Governance……..which can be seen from their day to day activities and by every single maneuver moves, both the two Principles with their respective Parties are at play both in the Parliament, at open rallies of meet the people, building high pitched momentum for campaign for 2012, obstructing justice by the misuse of public funds through shuttling diplomacy for the ocampo six and making admissibility case scenario to delay and block ICC Hague, crime against humanity, Migingo and Ugingo invasion by Museveni of Uganda, The Turkana and the Samburu invasion by the Ethiopins, The Mungiki and the Kwekwe gangs paid through the Administration Police government payroll, The Somali pirating and the Al-Shabaab having safe havens in Eastleigh in the heart of Nairobi etc.,….these and many other explains these two principles are not committed to the Reform and Change Kenyans need so badly, and that justice will not be realized and the truth will never be known, when the two are standing on the way to block meaningful progress for the public.
On behalf of the poor and underprivileged, I plead to the Leaders of the world to step in and save poor Africans from political monster who are about to consume the very last life-line left through the Budget which is about to be read in a hurry on the 8th of June, 2011
Take a look at activities behind the scene, those of privatization of public resources and utilities, and take note who are the beneficiaries or the stakeholders……, take a look at the Triton Scandals, Ivory and drug trafficking including trafficking of under-age children for prostitution racketeering….., Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing and Anglo maize scandal…..etc., where are the hope of the poor Kenyans to jungle in such clouded corruption and impunity……we need urgent help and truly more urgent now than it was before a few months ago.
There is no need to fear, we must know the truth and the truth shall set us free indeed….
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Speaker to rule on Kenya Budget standoff
BY WAMBUI NDONGA
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 31- National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende will rule on Tuesday next week whether the Budget should be presented in Parliament on June 8 as scheduled, following the failure by the Finance Minister to table Revenue Estimates on April 8 as required by the new Constitution.
The Treasury was supposed to present its estimates at least two months before the actual budget reading but asked for a one month extension of time on the basis that it could not meet the constitutional deadline.
Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta however failed to present the estimates on the extended deadline raising sharp criticism from Parliament’s Budget Committee.
The matter was raised again in Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, with Gwasi MP John Mbadi seeking the Speaker’s direction on the matter.
“You have left the Chair in a position that is not so enviable particularly with the government speaking at cross purpose but I have to live with that and give direction which I will do on Tuesday next week at 2 pm.,” said the Speaker.
Cabinet Ministers Mutula Kilonzo, Amos Kimunya and Sam Ongeri had asked the Speaker to interrogate the Finance Minister on why the estimates had not been submitted while at the same time they rooted for the scheduled budget reading.
They argued that delaying the reading of the budget would have a spiral effect on public offices by derailing their planned activities.
Mr Kimunya who serves as the Minister in charge of Transport argued that Kenya was the leading economy in the East African region and added that all Member States of the EAC needed to present their budgets at the same time.
“Our brothers and sisters will be looking for signals from this country on the way forward and for them to know where to invest. And if we get ourselves too much into the legalese we could lose our competitive advantage as a big brother,” he said.
Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba however disputed Mr Kimunya’s argument saying Kenya was only bound by the Constitution, which, he argued, was bigger than any other treaties or agreements that Kenya could have signed with other countries.
“No one and no institution is superior to the Constitution and we are not any more bound by the East African treaties than we are by our own Constitution,” he argued.
Lands Minister James Orengo also accused the Treasury of breaching the Constitution saying the Budget should not be read until the estimates are submitted. He also asked his colleagues to respect the guidelines created in the Constitution.
“We are still living as if we are part of the old order yet we have a new one. We must go by this Constitution,” he said.
Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua on her part argued that there was great need to allow the scheduled budget reading as a matter of tradition. She said other issues surrounding the issue should be dealt with afterwards unless they were crucial.
“The budget reading is not a matter of the Constitution; it’s a matter of Westminster tradition. The Finance minister can table it but there can no longer be that pomp of reading and the House adjourning. He will table and business will continue,” she argued.
Meanwhile the court case that was filed by a civil society activist on the same issues failed to take off on Tuesday due to legal technicalities. The court case was filed on Monday morning with the civil society accusing the government of undermining the constitutional provisions.
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Mutula roots for death penalty for those found guilty of corruption
Published on 27/05/2011
By Steve Mkawale
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mutula Kilonzo has proposed that those found guilty of corruption should be punished severely, including being sentenced to death.
Mutula said the punishment will serve as a great deterrent to those who intend to engage in theft of public assets.
He observed that countries like China have managed to eliminate corruption because of death penalty.
“The Philippines have a similar penalty for plunder of public resources. It is high time Kenya comes up with more severe penalties for corruption, so that we make it a life and death affair,” said the Minister.
Mutula made the remarks on Thursday when he opened a stakeholders’ forum on Ethics and Anti-Corruption Bill 2011 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel, Nairobi.
He observed that one of the reasons people engage in corruption is because the punishment prescribed does not befit the crime.
“I feel there is a need to increase fines and custodial sentences,” said Kilonzo.
Prosecutorial powers
The anti-corruption Bill has already been crafted but stakeholders, including those in private sector, were supposed to improve on the final draft during the meeting.
After deliberations, the Bill that seeks to make the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC) have prosecutorial powers will go for a round table discussion with the Attorney General, Ministry of Justice officials and the Constitution Implementation Committee (CIC), which will be the last stage before it goes to Parliament.
On Thursday, Mutula said the structure of the anti-corruption machinery in the country needs to be streamlined. ” We are aware that currently there are a number of anti-corruption institutions each with different roles to play. These institutions have existed without much harmony. The resultant bickering has been a source of shame to us as a Government and as Kenyans,” said the Minister.
He observed that lack of synergy in conducting investigations, gathering evidence and prosecution has led to the acquittal of suspects who evidently were guilty of corruption.
“I hope we will be able to come up with a lean structure that taps into the experience and expertise of various agencies,” said Mutula.
The Minister further said the country needs more than Sh1billion to establish a world-class Witness Protection Agency. He said currently the Government has only been able to allocate Sh50million, which is not enough to protect witnesses.
Lost their livelihood
Mutula further observed that the biggest obstacle in fighting corruption in the country has been lack of evidence when matters were being prosecuted in courts.
“It has often been said that corruption fights back. Nobody knows the viciousness of the purveyors of corruption but witnesses and whistleblowers themselves. Many have lost their livelihood and their lives,” said the Minister. Deputy Director of KACC Dr John Mutonyi said the Bill had a lot of input from various players but is still open to suggestions for the country to have a solid mechanism to fight graft.
He observed that over the past years, the public has been made to believe that those engaging in corruption were igneous individuals.
“We need to make the public realise that they are committing serious crimes that need to be punished,” said Mutonyi. Present during the meeting was Mr Gichira Kibara, Dr Smokin Wanjala and Mr Kathurima M’Inoti, Chairman of the Kenya Law Review Commission.
Corruption, violence, security impact on development
Published on 05/05/2011
Obiageli, Mo & Naidoo
Corruption is a growing problem that hobbles development and robs poor people of opportunities for economic and social advance. That much is well known.
Less well evident, however, until recently were the more insidious effects of corruption in spawning violence that not only threatens the viability and stability of whole nation states, but can engulf them. “Conflict, Security, and Development,” the World Bank’s just-released 2011 World Development Report sheds new light on the intractable, age-old problems of weak governance, poverty, and violence.
The new report’s findings are unequivocal, and make for sober reading:
• Some 1.5 billion people live in countries affected by political and criminal violence — causing human misery and disrupting development;
• Over 90 per cent of civil wars in the 2000s occurred in countries that had already experienced a civil war in the previous 30 years; and
• Coercion and patronage may be seen by some governments as ways to preserve stability, but this is a mistake – corruption, human rights abuses and low government effectiveness make countries 30-40 per cent more vulnerable to violence.
The new report’s findings are particularly poignant for Africa, home to 23 out of the world’s most conflict-affected and fragile economies. And conflict impacts negatively on development.
Preliminary estimates suggest that CÙte d’Ivoire’s post-election conflict has cost over 1,000 lives of men, women and children, displaced another one million, reduced GDP by between 3 to7 per cent, pushed up poverty between 2.5 to 4 percentage points, and created additional fiscal needs of between 4 and 5 per cent of GDP.
Building strong, legitimate institutions and governance that provide citizen security, justice, and jobs are all crucial to break cycles of violence.
The report points out that it took the 20 fastest-moving countries an average of 17 years to get the military out of politics, 20 years to achieve functioning bureaucratic quality, and 27 years to bring corruption under reasonable control.
Put another way, tackling corruption and violence is a generational task requiring sustained effort, and is not for the weak or those prone to wavering. It crucially requires dogged commitment to improving confidence between citizens and the state.
For governments, this means accepting, for example, that ruling parties cannot tackle violence successfully alone, but need to build citizen engagement and coalitions in support of change.
And confidence-building involves signaling a break with the past — through credible early results and measures that convincingly lock in commitments to change.
Shared values
Countries like Ghana and Mozambique have shown that this is possible.
That is why Robert Zoellick, World Bank Group President, recently noted that good governance will not happen without the active participation of citizens, and why the new strategy for World Bank engagement in Africa has governance, and institution — and capacity-building at its foundation.
That is why African Union’s efforts to define and promote “shared political, economic and social values” and behaviour are critical and deserve support.
That is also the reason we must continue to measure and promote progress as done by the Ibrahim Index of African Governance and its four indicators: Safety and Rule of Law, Participation and Human Rights, Sustainable Economic Opportunity and Human Development. It is no coincidence that conflict-affected countries in Africa are relegated to the bottom of the Index.
Much of the economic news from sub-Saharan Africa has been increasingly positive — pre-crisis growth of about 5 per cent per annum for a decade in many countries; poverty reduction at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world; and a speedy return to pre-crisis economic expansion because of exemplary domestic policies.
Africa is now poised to take off much as Brazil and India did some decades ago if only it can make the structural links between citizen security, justice and jobs in conflict and violence prevention, and include mechanisms to build confidence between citizens and the state. Africa must also strengthen governance while curbing systemic corruption.
Citizens, investors and the rest of the world are taking note.
Need we say more?
Writers Obiageli Ezekwesili, Mo Ibrahim and Jay Naidoo are World Bank Vice President for Africa Region, Chairman of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and Chairman of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, respectively.